Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Planning commission approves Brigham Road rezoning and PUD amid traffic and density objections
Loading...
Summary
The Greensboro Planning & Zoning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of linked rezoning and PUD requests for properties near Brigham and Atchison roads, despite opposition from a nearby owner who warned the development would overload roads and schools.
The Greensboro Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval on April 20 of a linked rezoning (CDRM-26) and planned unit development for roughly 41 acres near Brigham and Atchison roads, a package developers said is intended to provide new housing near job centers including the airport.
Nick Blackwood, speaking for the applicants, said the projects are designed to create contiguous developable parcels and illustrated how townhomes and multifamily buildings could be laid out. He told the commission the site’s proximity to Pleasant Ridge Road, West Market Street and the airport makes it suitable for higher-density housing tied to anticipated job growth, noting “the Jet 0 announcement estimated 14,500 jobs” and arguing the area’s transportation infrastructure was sufficient.
Why it matters: The package would add substantial multifamily capacity in the western growth area; commissioners said the approvals align with the GSO 2040 comprehensive plan and the city’s aims to expand housing where jobs are expected.
Opponents urged caution. Attorney Bridal Lewis, representing Westshore Pleasant Ridge LLC, told commissioners the area already has multiple large projects under construction and warned that clustering more units would strain two-lane rural roads and neighborhood services. “If you look at what’s going on with Brigham Road and Pleasant Ridge Road … we’re putting way too many eggs in one basket,” Lewis said, calling the combined scale of approved and proposed projects “too much too quickly.”
Developers and staff responded that a traffic impact study covered this site and the companion PUD, and that the study did not recommend significant transportation improvements. Developer Brad Chambers said construction is targeted to start in 2027 with initial units delivered in 2028 and estimated a roughly two-year construction window.
The commission’s action: Commissioners moved and seconded motions to recommend the CDRM-26 rezoning (Z-26-04-007), to approve the PUD (Z-26-04-008), and to accept the unified development plan (UDP). All motions carried on voice votes recorded as 7-0. Staff noted the UDP and PUD include provisions intended to add pedestrian-oriented commercial uses along Brigham Road and to provide buffers to adjacent lower-density neighborhoods.
What’s next: The commission’s recommendation constitutes final action for the zoning matters unless an appeal is filed in writing to the planning department within 10 days and the appeal fee is paid; the UDP is already approved as part of tonight’s action. If the approvals stand, developers estimate phased construction beginning 2027 with dwellings delivered in 2028.
Public comment and process notes: Commissioners and staff emphasized that public outreach occurred and that developers offered neighborhood meetings; opponents said more time and a slower approach would be preferable. Commissioners asked developers to consider building orientation, materials, height and visual buffers to mitigate impacts on adjacent single-family areas.
The commission adjourned consideration of related items only after completing motions on both rezoning and the associated PUD.
